Heat press



L E. KEES HEAT PRESS May 17, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 10, 1965 Leonard E. Kees F/Gf INVENTOR 53% Attorneys W 17, 1966 L. E. KEES 3,

HEAT PRESS Filed July 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Leandra E Kees mum/r01? 5 y w a mm A H'o rneys United States Patent Kans.

Filed July 10, 1963, Ser. No. 294,066 2 Claims. (Cl. 100-93) The present invention primarily relates to means for applying indicia to articles of manufacture and more particularly to a machine for applying labels or the like.

Heretofore, machines andmethods have been proposed for applying labels and the like having a heat-sensitive adhesive thereon or being made from plastic material which can be fused to other objects such as cloth for bedding, clothing or plastics. However, such devices have lacked a great degree of flexibility inasmuch as they are usually confined to operate over a small area of the object to which the label is being aflixed, therefore necessitating careful positioning of the device. To obviate the aforementioned deficiency in the prior art devices, the present invention was conceived having as its primary object means for applying heat for aflixing a label to a cloth or plastic item, which means may be adjusted both laterally and vertically to increase the flexibility of use of such a device.

A further object of this inventionresides in the provision of a heat press which is mounted upon a frame having a pair of spaced tracks, the press being movable on said tracks whereby it may be positioned over a heat-sensitive label which is being applied to an object and locked in said position with ease and efficiency.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a heat press of the character indicated operable by pneumatic means carrying the heating unit of the heat press.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of safety means incorporated in the heat press assembly which makes it necessary for the operator to use both of his hands in activating the heat press thereby precluding the danger of the operators hand being caught by the heating element while contacting the label and object to which it is being adhered to.

A final object of this invention resides in its simplicity of construction, efficient operation and commercial feasibility.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view in elevation of the heat press assembly comprising the subject matter of the instant tioned in rolling engagement upon the upper and lower tracks 20 and 22. As seen in FIGURE 2, the top pair of grooved wheels 26 ride on top of the track 20 while the bottom pair of grooved wheels 26 are positioned beneath the track 22 thereby precluding accidental removal of the heat press assembly from the frame 12. Therefore, the

'steel sheet support may be rolled along the tracks until it is properly positioned over the label which is being afiixed. The device may be positively locked in adjusted position by means of a pair of camming studs such as 28 and 30 carried on the back of the steel sheet 24. This is accomplished by merely rotating these camming studs into a position wherein they abut the horizontal leg of the angle irontrack 20 with rigid frictional engagement during press operation.

Once the heat press assembly has been properly positioned, a double action air cylinder assembly 32 carrying a heated platen. 34 pivotally attached to its lower end may be lowered to aflix the label. A bar 36 attached tov the platen 34 is pivotally attached to the air cylinder 32 through a yoke member 38. A heating element such as 40 is adapted to heat the bar 36 and the platen 34 by the heat losses accompanying an electric current fed to the heating element 40 through a pair of cables housedwithin a flexible covering such as 42 connected to the heating element 4.0 at one end and extending into a housing 44 at its other end whereby it may be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy fed through conductors housed within a flexible covering such as 46 electrically connected to the conductors within the covering 42.

As previously mentioned, the heated platen 34 may be raised and lowered by means of the double acting air cylinder 32. In order to actuate the air cylinder 32 a solenoid 48 is electrically connected to the source of electrical energy through the conductors within the flexible covering 46 and is adapted to be operably conditioned for operation by a suitable switch such as 50 mounted on the housing 44. The solenoid 48 controls an air valve 52 which may be opened to permit air under pressure in the air supply line 54 to enter the valve and a plastic hose 56 suitably coupled to the air cylinder 32 above the piston therein. When the solenoid 48 is thus actuated, air will enter the cylinder 32 to lower the piston and the platen 34 to apply pressure to the label. A second plastic hose 58 is connected to the air cylinder 32 beneath the piston therein whereupon deactuation of the solenoid 48 by opening the switch 50 will cause the air valve 52 to close thereby forcing air from the line 54 through the hose 58 to force the piston within the cylinder 32 upwardly thereby retracting the platen and causing air to exhaust through the hose 56 and air valve 52 to the atmosphere. When the platen 34 is again lowered, the air valve 52 will again open to allow air to flow from the supply line 54 through the hose 56 to the top of the air cylinder 32 and air will be exhausted through the hose 58 and air valve 52 to the, atmosphere.

The volume and air pressure necessary for proper operation of the unit is controlled by an air pressure reg-ulator and gauge such as 60 connected into the air supply line 54. Also connected to the air supply line is an air filter 62 for removing condensate from the air before allowing it to pass into the cylinder 32. Further, the air entering the cylinder 32 has oil entrained therein for lubricating the cylinder from an oiler 64 in the air supply line.

The heating element 40 is operatively conditioned for operation by closing of the switch 50. However, a pair of spaced switches 66 and 68 mounted On. the steel sheet support 24 must also be closed to complete the electric circuit to the solenoid 48. This in effect, provides a safety means :by removing the danger of the operators hand being caught by the heating element while contact ing the label. That is, both hands must be used to actuate the solenoid 48 by throwing the switches 66 and 68. The conductors housed within the flexible covering 42 are electrically connected in series to a pair of conductors housed within a flexible cover such as 70 which also extend into the housing 44 to be electricall connected to the conductors within the flexible covering 42.

To summarize the operation of the device the heat press unit is first operably conditioned for operation by closing the switch 50 and positioned over the work by rolling the steel support sheet to the convenient location. The switches 66 and 68 may then be closed to actuate the solenoid 48 whereby air will be admitted into the cylinder 32 to lower the platen 34 to lock the support sheet in place by means of the camming studs 28 and 30 and press the label onto the object it is being afiixed to. The air pressure may be regulated by means of the pressure regulator and gauge 60, while moisture 'is filtered from the air by the filter 62 and the cylinder may be lubricated by oil injected into the air supply by the oiler 64. During this movement, air will be exhausted from beneath the piston within the cylinder 32 through the hose 58 into the atmosphere. If desired, a thermostat may be electrically connected to the heating element 441 for opening the heating part of the electric circuit after a predetermined temperature of the platen has been reached. To retract the platen, the switches 66 and 68 are opened de-energizing the solenoid 48 whereby air will be admitted through the hose 58 beneath the piston to raise it. Air will be exhausted through the hose 56 to the atmosphere.

It should also be apparent that the entire heating press assembly may be mounted so that the platen can be mowed to function in difierent positions. Thus, the assembly can be made to move vertically by changing the mounting pattern. Further, in lieu of using a stand type frame the frame may be rigidly bolted to a table or mounted as a bracket upon a vertical wall structure. The grooved wheels 26 can also be made of rubber, plastic, neoprene or like material which may be selflubricating in effect.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A heat press assembly comprising:

(a) an upstanding frame including rigid horizontal upper and lower vertically spaced apart parallel elevated track members,

(b) a vertically disposed rigid carrier adjacent said upper and lower track members, a pair of upper horizontally spaced apart wheels rotatably mounted on said carrier and in rolling engagement with said upper track member, a pair of lower horizontally spaced apart wheels rotatably mounted on said carrier and in rolling engagement with said lower track member, said pairs of wheels cooperating with said track members to support said carrier for selective horizontal rolling movement along said track members but restricting carrier movement laterally of said track members,

(c) vertically directed fluid motor means mounted on said carrier and having a lower end adapted for selective displacement below said carrier and lower track member,

(d) a generally horizontally disposed heating platen extending below said track members and said carrier, means securing said heated platen to said lower end,

(e) lock means mounted on said carrier beneath one of said track members and adapted to reactively frictionally engage said one track member upon lowering said platen into operative position, and

( f) control means for selectively actuating said fluid motor means to urge said platen downwardly.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said means connecting said platen and said lower end is a pivotal connecting member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,384,348 7/1921 Riedz -53 2,304,852 12/1942 Sharples IOU--93 2,439,725 4/ 1948 Frost l()0226 2,581,977 1/1952 Spaldin'g et al. 156583 2,904,098 9/ 1959 MaitZen.

3,125,020 3/1964 Surina 100--53 HAROLD A-NSHER, Primary Examiner.

DOUGLAS DRUMMOND, EARL M. BERGERT,

Examiners. 

1. A HEAT PRESS ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) AN UPSTANDING FRAME INCLUDING RIGID HORIZONTAL UPPER AND LOWER VERTICALLY SPACED APART PARALLEL ELEVATED TRACK MEMBERS, (B) A VERTICALLY DISPOSED RIGID CARRIER ADJACENT SAID UPPER AND LOWER TRACK MEMBERS, A PAIR OF UPPER HORIZONTALLY SPACED APART WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER AND IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPPER TRACK MEMBER, A PAIR OF LOWER HORIZONTALLY SPACED APART WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER AND IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOWER TRACK MEMBER, SAID PAIRS OF WHEELS COOPERATING WITH SAID TRACK MEMBERS TO SUPPORT SAID CARRIER FOR SELECTIVE HORIZONTAL ROLLING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID TRACK MEMBERS BUT RESTRICTING CARRIER MOVEMENT LATERALLY OF SAID TRACK MEMBERS, (C) VERTICALLY DIRECTED FLUID MOTOR MEANS MOUNTED ON 